September 19, 2015
"It’s almost like a parallel government structure has been created."
Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government? — Deadspin's detailed report on a developing scandal involving Sacramento, California mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson's alleged misuse of the power of his office to benefit for-profit charter schools. [more inside]
In a universe at a slightly different frequency
In a universe at a slightly different frequency than ours there was an alternate Hugo Ballot. Below the fold are links to the authors and works: [more inside]
That all life is a dream and dreams are dreams ...
"All Japanese young women want kogao."
An American living in Japan, Ellen Freeman confronts her own body issues upon learning that her 'small face' fits an ideal of beauty she wasn't even aware of.
The Death of Baby Diego
Evan Puschak, aka The Nerdwriter, watches Children of Men and asks us to not ignore the background [more inside]
A Deep Feeling has Caused Me to Think of You till Now
My affection is real: Jon Bon Jovi covers a Teresa Teng classic- The Moon Represents My Heart [more inside]
The First and Last Ones Were Particularly Poignant
Jimmy Carter watched a lot of movies when he was President -- more than 400, in fact, ranging from Midnight Cowboy (the first known X-rated movie screened at the White House) to The Bad News Bears. [more inside]
"The Chairman of Everything"
Born Red is a long profile of Xi Jinping, President of China, by Evan Osnos of The New Yorker. Osnos explains the character and policies of China's current leader through his biography. He was privileged son of a revolutionary leader. After the father fell from grace, the son endured a troubled decade. His father was invited back into the fold, and Xi rose through the ranks all the way to the top. Xi is considered the leader of the informal princeling faction of the Chinese Communist Party. He has put a focus on combating corruption, which had gone out of control in the last couple of decades, and stifling dissent. Recent months have seen tumultuous stock markets and a large army parade. Since coming to power, a personality cult has been promoted by the state. Jeffrey Wasserstrom makes a comparison between the Chinese President and the Pope.
Digging up (and editing) Polish lost grooves, funk, soul and psych
The Very Polish Cut Outs is a label/ collective/ collection of that has been busy bringing Poland’s lost grooves to a new world audience, everything from disco, funk, soul, electronic and psychedelic for the past few years. They're active on Facebook, where you can get previews of new releases and hear more funky fun music, or you can go straight to the source with their Soundcloud and Mixcloud accounts. Of course, there's even more, if you're down to dig. [more inside]
Unlimited Adventures, Gold Box D&D construction set
Here are two Let's Plays (text) devoted to SSI's classic DOS D&D "Gold Box" construction set program Unlimited Adventures, one of the most revered user-level RPG creator programs and now available on GoG.
- Let's Play UA, an ENWorld forum post.
- Another text Let's Play, on RPG Codex. UA modules are not easy to get running, but for those interested....
Custom excavator
Everyone has probably seen wheelchair accessible cars and vans, but this custom Hitachi ZX210LC-5 (servicable translation) is probably the only wheelchair accessible excavator around. It came about as a joint project between the Norwegian welfare and labour administration (NAV) and the construction firm Jakhelln Entreprenør in Lillestrøm, Norway, when operator Tim Knutsen, who lost use of his legs after a traffic accident in 2006, needed work. Video in this article (translation of article text).
You might easily be using a Mackster Air.
"Even the middle class deserves to eat solid food at least occasionally"
Meet the Hottest Restaurant of 2081. (via Gawker)
“Our survey data pixelates—it’s a big blur.”
Vanishing Canada: Why we’re all losers in Ottawa’s war on data. [Maclean's Magazine]
Stories about government data and historical records being deleted, burned—even tossed into Dumpsters—have become so common in recent years that many Canadians may feel inured to them. But such accounts are only the tip of a rapidly melting iceberg. A months-long Maclean’s investigation, which includes interviews with dozens of academics, scientists, statisticians, economists and librarians, has found that the federal government’s “austerity” program, which resulted in staff cuts and library closures (16 libraries since 2012)—as well as arbitrary changes to policy, when it comes to data—has led to a systematic erosion of government records far deeper than most realize, with the data and data-gathering capability we do have severely compromised as a result.
"We’re using tactics and equipment that you will see in war zones.”
Death on Sevenmile Road
The rush to militarize the U.S.-Mexico border has tragic consequences in Texas.
The rush to militarize the U.S.-Mexico border has tragic consequences in Texas.
North America: timelapse in 4K
An 8:44 long timelapse in 4K resolution on Vimeo and YouTube. Includes Yosemite, Yellowstone, Olympic, Banff, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Acadia, Rocky Mountains, Mesa Verde, Arches, Mount Rainier, Mount Revelstoke and Zion. Also Seattle, Los Angeles, Vancouver, St. Louis, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Plus Mount Rushmore, New Orleans, Toronto, Boston, Calgary, Springdale, Three Rivers, Pagosa Springs, Swift Current, New York, Niagara Falls, Lake Palourde, Keene Lake, Horseshoe Bend, White Mountains, Hobson and the Mississippi River. [more inside]
Look! Up in the sky!
Supermoon Lunar Eclipse! Coming to most of the world September 27th or 28th, 2015. There are many other cool visualizations, like this telescopic view or a view from the moon. Provided by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission of NASA.
Leap Manifesto
The Leap Manifesto was recently launched by a range of Canadian intellectuals, celebrities, and organizations as an attempt to combat catastrophic climate change by convincing Canadians that business as usual is not the only way. [more inside]
Plotted, Not Stirred
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